First Lady Tests Positive For Covid-19

First Lady Tests Positive For Covid-19

On Monday, First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19, experiencing “mild symptoms,” according to the White House. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has tested negative.

This diagnosis has disrupted the first lady’s plans to commence teaching the fall semester at Northern Virginia Community College on Tuesday.

She is collaborating with the school to ensure her classes are covered by a substitute, as stated by Vanessa Valdivia, the first lady’s spokesperson.

Typically, Dr. Biden teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the family’s residence in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

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As of now, there are no changes to White House Covid protocols or the president’s schedule, according to an administration official who spoke to CNN on Monday.

The first lady’s diagnosis, at the age of 72, occurs during a busy week for President Joe Biden. He delivered a Labor Day speech in Philadelphia earlier on the same day as the announcement. On Tuesday, he is set to present the Medal of Honor to an Army captain in a White House ceremony before departing for the G20 Summit in India on Thursday.

CNN has sought further details regarding the regular Covid testing schedule for both the president and first lady, as well as whether President Biden was in close contact with his wife when she began showing Covid symptoms.

It’s worth noting that last summer, Jill Biden tested positive for Covid-19 while vacationing in South Carolina in August, and President Biden tested positive in July. Both experienced rebound cases shortly after being treated with Paxlovid.

In terms of Covid-19 trends, the first lady’s diagnosis comes amid increased attention as the world approaches the fourth virus season since the pandemic began. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier in the summer showed a slight uptick in hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and positive Covid-19 tests, although not to the extent seen in previous summers.

Overall, the number of new hospital admissions for every 100,000 people nationwide in the week ending August 19 was considered low, as per CDC thresholds. While seven counties had high levels of Covid-19 hospitalizations, 117 counties, or approximately 3.6% of the country, were in the medium threshold, with a significant portion in Florida.

The emergence of a new variant, BA.2.86, has garnered attention from scientists due to its high mutation rate. However, it has been detected in only a small number of people worldwide thus far. Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, noted that this variant poses challenges as the virus continues to evolve, finding new ways to infect and challenge humans.